


ghosts

by ameliafuckingshepherd



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Brain Surgery, Doctors & Physicians, Ghosts, Hallucinations, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Irondad, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker-centric, Sick Character, Sickfic, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Visions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-04-12 03:13:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19123423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ameliafuckingshepherd/pseuds/ameliafuckingshepherd
Summary: Peter Parker was seeing ghosts.he didn't know what to do.





	ghosts

Peter’s head ached

Like it had been slammed

Into concrete. And he had

been slammed into concrete

Before. He knew what 

It felt like.

 

The burning, pulsing

Pain resided right

Above his spine. 

 

Wasn’t spiderman supposed to fix this?

 

God, it hurt. 

 

Flaring, spiking white-hot pain. 

 

Peter could take most of 

What the world threw at him,

But he didn’t know how much

Longer he could take this.

 

 

* * *

 

_ "hey, kid, _

_ do you want to come to the tower? _

_ how about this Saturday? _

_ I can get you from school _

_ friday, and you _

_ could even sleep over,  _

_ but only if you want to. _

_ okay, call me back, _

_ or text me, _

_ or drop by the tower, _

_ I don't really care. _

_ see you later."  _

 

* * *

 

_ "hey Pete, just checking in. _

_ I haven't heard from _

_ you in a while.  _

_ and that's fine,  _

_ i just want to make sure _

_ you're okay.  _

_ so... _

_ just call me back, please.  _

_ okay. bye, underoos." _

 

Peter deleted the voicemail.

 

it wasn't that he

didn't want to see Mister Stark.

he really, really did. 

But his head hurt so much

He could hardly think.

 

So he stayed home.

He took half a bottle

Of Tylenol, and went to sleep.

He couldn’t deal with this today.

 

* * *

 

 

He lay on the ground, heat

Seeping into his back.

Heat still sticking around in the asphalt

Despite the cold, 

cloudy day. It was a good

Day. the pain in his head

Bad been reduced to

A pinprick or a bug bite. 

 

Wind blustered and 

Stabbed at his skin like 

Small pins and cold, cold needles. 

It tore at his

Chest, his hair,

Ripped at his hoodie,

Pulled him apart

As if he could

Come apart more

Then he already had. 

 

His skin tingled, and

He raised an arm to block his face.

 

“Heads up!”

A basketball collided with

His arm and Peter sat up,

Dazed. 

 

“Sorry dude,” the kid shouted.

He ran to collect the ball and

Went back to his friends.

 

Peter wished for a moment

That he could be normal like

That kid.

No spiderman.

No secrets.

 

* * *

 

The world tilted,

Meeting his eyes. 

 

“Peter? Oh my god, are you okay?”

 

No, he really wasn’t.

 

* * *

 

Peter woke up in the Nurse’s office,

Head aching,

Knees aching more. 

He must have hit them

When he passed out. 

 

He moved to get up,

To get out, because

It was getting hard to breathe,

And this little office was

_ Too small. _

It was choking him. 

 

“Honey, lay back down. You had

Quite the fall,” the Nurse said,

Coming back 

in the room. 

“Your dad is coming

To get you now,

He’ll be here soon,

Just try

To rest.”

 

His dad? He didn’t

Have a dad.

Peter shut his eyes

And tried to breathe normally. 

They probably got

The emergency contact

Names confused. 

 

He must have drifted

Back to sleep, because

Next thing he knew, he was

Being shaken awake

By Mister Stark.

 

“Mister Stark?

What are you 

Doing here?”

 

“Your Aunt is stuck

At work, kid. 

I’m your second

Emergency contact.” 

 

Peter rubbed

His eyes, and Mister Stark

Rested a hand on his back. 

 

Peter asked him, “What happened?” 

Because he still

Wasn’t really sure. 

 

“You passed out, kiddo.

Come on, let’s get

You to the tower. 

So you can rest.”

 

Peter allowed Mister Stark

To help him up.

The way he gripped 

Under Peter’s arm and elbow

Hurt slightly, 

But he was too tired to protest. 

 

Mister Stark took him out

To the car, and Peter

Worried briefly

About the classes he’d miss. 

As soon as he laid down

In the back of 

MristerStark’s Audi, 

He was asleep. 

 

He didn’t even notice

That his head hadn’t hurt

All day.

 

* * *

 

“I don’t know what happened, 

May,” Mister Stark said. 

 

_ “What the fuck _

_ Do you mean _

_ You don’t know?” _

 

“I mean I 

don’t know. I got

There, and he was passed

Out, white as a damn sheet.

I don’t know

What happened.”

 

_ “Well, bring him to  _

_ The fucking hospital!” _

 

“Where the hell 

Do you think we’re going?

Disneyland?”

 

“ _ Don’t speak to me that way.” _

 

“Jesus, May, I’m sorry.”

Mister Stark sighed heavily,

As if he hadn’t slept

In a thousand years.

“When i got that call,

I thought he was dead. 

When i saw him

Just lying there, not moving,

I thought he was dead.”

 

_ “I know, Tony.” _

 

“Look, we’re almost at

The hospital. 

Meet you there?”

 

_ “I’ll come down. Bye, Tony. _

_ And thanks again _

_ For taking care of my kid.” _

 

“Our kid.”

 

_ “Yeah. our kid.” _

 

Peter kept his eyes shut

And pretended to still 

Be asleep, because

Honestly his brain 

Never really woke up.

 

* * *

 

He woke up on a different bed 

in a different room. 

Someone was stabbing

His arm, and he flinched away.

 

“Its okay, kiddo.

It’s just an IV,”

Mr Stark, who

For some reason was still here,

Explained. 

 

Peter relaxed. 

The doctor who was stabbing him

Hooked him up

To a bag of clear liquid. 

 

Saline, Peter thought. 

He was dehydrated,

Surley. That’s why he

Passed out.

He was so,

So, so tired. 

 

Aunt may came down

A few minutes later, 

She took Peter’s other hand

And murmured comforting words.

 

Peter did not like

Doctors, but Aunt May’s blue

Scrubs seemed oddly comforting. 

 

* * *

 

“Transfer Bethany and let me take over,” 

Aunt May whispered angrily. 

 

“May, you know I can’t do that.”

 

“That’s my kid in there!

My baby!

Let me take care of

My baby!”

 

“It’s a conflict of interest.” 

 

Mister Stark chimed in, 

“Come on, Doc.

Can’t you just let

This one slide?”

 

“No. I’m sorry May,

I really am. 

Take the rest 

Of the day off. 

Be with your son. 

He needs you.”

 

Footsteps receded, 

And Peter once again 

slipped into sleep.  

 

* * *

 

Peter awoke at noon the next day

In a real hospital room. 

Aunt May and Mister Stark

Sat on either side 

Of him, May sleeping

With her head next to 

Peter’s shoulder. 

 

Peter sat up, confused.

He didn’t remember

Much of the day before.

 

“Mister Stark?” 

Peter asked. 

He sounded like a child,

Scared, alone. 

 

“Hey, sleeping beauty.

I’m glad you’re awake,

We were getting worried.”

 

Peter reached blindly 

Next to him for his phone,

But it wasn’t there.

 

“Where’s my phone?”

 

Mister Stark reached in to

His pocket and handed

It to him. 

 

Peter checked his voicemail first.

Ned’s contact was listen

Many times.

(But then again, 

Who else does Peter

Ever call?)

 

_ “Dude, what the hell _

_ Happened? Are you okay? _

_ I heard Tony Stark _

_ Picked you up from school. _

_ Were you poisoned? _

_ Or stabbed? _

_ Did a bad guy get really tiny, _

_ Like Antman,  _

_ And attack you? _

_ Call me back, Peter. _

_ We’re all really worried about you.” _

 

Then,

 

_ “Hey dude, just _

_ Checking in. school’s  _

_ Out and I haven’t heard _

_ From you. Just tell _

_ Me you’re alive. _

_ I’m getting scared.” _

 

At one in the morning, Ned left another. 

 

_ “Is this because _

_ Of spiderman? _

_ You get hurt a lot _

_ And i didn’t tell anyone _

_ Because you’re my best friend, _

_ But maybe i should have. _

_ What if you’re really hurt? _

_ What if you’re ironman, _

_ Metal right over your _

_ Heart, hurt? _

_ I should have told someone. _

_ I’m really sorry, Peter. _

_ I love you a lot. _

_ Please text me back, _

_ I’m freaking out.” _

 

**[Not spiderman:** hey yall, i’m fine 

im in the hospital rn im probably dehydrated 

but no one has really told me anything

 

**Mmmmmmmmmj:** shit 

**Mmmmmmmmmj:** i’m glad you’re not dead

 

**Guy in the chair:** PETER YOU SCARED THE FUCK OUT OF ME

**Guy in the chair:** can I come see you or something

 

**Not spiderman:** probably, yeah

I’ll ask may when she wakes up

I’ll text you the room number

And address later :) **]**

 

Peter put down his phone,

Picked it back up

When it chimed twice

With two thumbs up 

Emojis from his friends. 

 

“Your friends are probably

Worried, huh?”

 

Mister Stark sounded

Softer than usual,

Like he was afraid

To scare Peter. 

 

Peter nodded. 

“I just want to go home.”

 

“I’ll see what I can do.”

 

* * *

 

Peter was seeing

Ghosts. At least

His head didn’t hurt

Anymore, but was it

Really a fair trade?

 

He was bundled in 

Two or three blankets

In the tower living room.

He was staying 

With Tony, because May

Couldn’t get time off work. 

 

It had been a day 

Since he was discharged.

Everyone was treating him

Like he was made of glass.

Ned and MJ came to

See him at the hospital. 

 

Ned’s usual chatter

Did not fill the room,

And MJ look uncharacteristically

Blank, hollow, 

No sarcasm or 

Dislike on her face. 

 

It was creeping 

Peter out. 

 

They watched a movie, 

And Ned gave Peter

Some flowers his

Mom had sent over. 

 

But he was seeing ghosts,

Shadows on the walls,

Curtains whispering 

When there was no wind.

 

He heard voices murmuring

In his ears, telling him

He wasn’t enough,

Telling him to be better,

be stronger.

 

He crept to the kitchen

Not wanting to disturb anyone. 

It was ten at night, 

And the other people

On the floor were asleep. 

 

He made some coffee,

Poured it in a cup.

 

“You’re Peter,”

A voice behind him declared. 

 

Peter yelped, just

Hardly keeping from 

Spilling the coffee. 

 

He turned around. 

Black Widow stood

Not five feet away from him

In sweatpants 

And a white T-shirt. 

 

“Y-yeah. I’m Peter Man

I mean Spider Parker

I mean…

Fuck.”

  
  


“Hi, Peter Man. 

I’m Natasha.”

Natasha reached out

To shake his hand.

 

He high fived her on instinct. 

He was going to

Kill himself. 

 

Thankfully,

Natasha just smiled

And didn’t pull a knife on him.

 

“It’s a little late for coffee,

Don’t you think?”

 

Peter shook his head.

 

“It’s never too late

For coffee, Miss Romanoff.”

 

“Just Natasha. 

You really are

Stark’s kid, 

Aren't you?”

 

Peter wanted to ask

What the hell she meant,

But he blinked, 

And she was gone. 

 

“Natasha?

Where’d you go?”

His voice sounded small

To his own ears. 

“Miss Romanoff?”

 

Mister Stark came out of his lab

Down the hall. 

“Kid, go to sleep.”

 

“but...Where’s Natasha?

She was just here.”

 

Mister Stark looked confused. 

“Agent Romanoff is

On a mission in Europe.

You need to go to sleep.”

 

Peter reeled in shock.

He saw her.

He touched her hand. 

He spoke to her. 

 

Mister Stark took him

By the arm and

Led him back to his room.

 

“You must have been

Dreaming, Pete.” 

 

Peter nodded,

But he knew he wasn’t. 

 

Natasha Romanoff had

Been in the kitchen.

He had seen her

Clear as day.

 

* * *

 

The next time he saw a ghost,

He was wandering the halls

Of the tower. 

He was on Medical leave

And would not return

To school for a week

And a half.

 

He was on the 

Fifty-second floor,

By an old R&D lab

That no one used. 

 

Two people walked out,

One looking down at an iPad

And talking to the other.

The first man waved goodbye,

Smiled as the second

man walked down

The hall, away from Peter. 

 

Suddenly, the first man looked up.

“Peter! What are you

Doing down here?”

He looked familiar,

But Peter couldn’t quite place it.

 

“I’m sorry, 

Do I know you?”

 

“Of course you do.

I’m Bruce Banner. 

I helped with your suit

A few months ago.” 

 

The man looked a little hurt,

So Peter decided to just go along with it.

 

Bruce Banner hadn’t been seen

Since Ultron had attacked.

Whatever,  _ whoever _

This was, it was

Not Bruce Banner.

 

“Right, yeah.

Hey, Bruce. Nice to see you.”

 

“Nice to see you too,

Peter. Come down 

To my lab sometime. 

There’s some stuff

I want to show you.”

 

Peter nodded. “Sounds fun.”

 

“Well, I’ve got to get

Going,” Not Bruce Banner

Said. “see you around, Peter.”

 

Not Bruce Banner walked past Peter,

Who twisted to watch him leave.

 

Again, Peter blinked, 

And Not Bruce Banner was gone.

 

Peter was having a really good day.

His head didn’t hurt.

He hadn’t seen any more ghosts. 

Mister Stark took him

To the zoo, and they 

Got ice cream. 

 

Peter was having a really good day

Until Natasha, who wasn’t really

Natasha at all, stared at him

Through the tiger enclosure.

She stroked the huge cat’s head,

And did not flinch when it growled.

 

Peter turned to Mister Stark,

To ask him if he was seeing this too,

But when he looked back,

Natasha was gone. 

 

Peter was having a really good day

Until he wasn’t anymore.

 

When the Winter Soldier 

showed up at the foot of his bed,

Peter rolled over and went back to sleep.

 

he couldn’t deal

With the ghosts right now.  

  
  


He actually met Natasha Romanoff

later that week. 

 

Back from her mission,

Peter stumbled upon her

While she was getting stitches from 

Someone in the common room. 

 

“Tasha, sit still,”

The person (doctor?) commanded.

 

“I don’t think you

Used enough local, Clint.”

 

Clint, Clint, Clint.

Peter wracked his brain.

Who was Clint? 

 

Steve Rogers, who 

Peter he met when he first

Came to the tower asked,

“Barton, do you even 

Know how to do stitches?”

 

“Yes. Maybe. Sort of.”

 

“Very convincing.”

Natasha rolled her eyes. 

 

“Hey, Queens,”

Steve said.

 

Peter jumped

A little.

“Hi Mister Rogers!” 

He gave a small wave

To Natasha and Clint 

who he whipped their

Heads around to 

Look at him.

 

It made him

Incredibly self-conscious.

 

did he look like a superhero?

could they tell that

he saw their ghosts,

talked to them, 

touched them?

 

“Oh, uh, I’m Peter Parker.

I’m SpiderMan.”

 

“Hi, Peter Parker 

Spider Man,”

Clint said, smirking. 

“I’m Clint Barton,

The Hawkeye.”

 

So  _ that’s  _ where

Peter recognized his 

Name from. 

He was the sharpshooter,

The best archer 

In all of Shield. 

 

“I’m the Black Widow,

But you can just call me

Natasha.” 

 

“Okay, Natasha.”

 

“Can you hand me 

that tissue over there?

I think I’m supposed

To keep my hands clean,”

Clint said, cringing.

 

Natasha was right.

Clint was not convincing 

At all. 

 

Peter handed him the tissue,

Which was pressed

To the spy’s bleeding

Shoulder. 

Peter leaned in closer,

Watched Clint work.

 

Despite it all, he seemed

To know what he was doing. 

 

“Cool,” Peter murmured. 

 

Natasha smiled.

“Wanna try?” 

 

“No, I don’t think I should-“

 

“Woah, you’d let a,

How old are you? Fifteen?

You’d let a fifteen-year-old

Sew you shut, but you

Don’t trust me to do it?” 

Clint looked betrayed.

 

Natasha laughed. 

“He seems smart.

Come on, little spider,

Give it a shot.”

 

“I really shouldn’t.

Last time I messed around

With needles, my bio class

Got covered in blood

And frog guts,”

Peter lied. It was wrong,

But he didn’t want to 

Hurt their feelings.

And he didn’t think

He could touch Natasha’s skin

Without remembering the 

Ghost he had tried so hard

To forget. 

 

“I’ve got to hear this story

In more detail, but Fury just

Texted. Debrief time,”

Natasha stated.

 

Clint groaned.

“Jesus, can’t the guy

Just read the case file?”

 

“Not today, birdbrain.

Come one, you can

Finish this in the elevator.”

 

And just like the ghost,

Natasha Romanoff was gone.

Maybe she was never there

In the first place, and

Peter needed to add another

Ghost to his list. 

 

* * *

 

“Mister Stark?”

 

“Yeah, Pete?”

 

“Natasha came home, 

Right?” 

 

“Yeah, she said 

She met you.

Said you were acting

Kind of weird.

Does this have anything

To do with the other night?”

 

“I…

I saw her, Mister Stark.

I touched her hand.

She was there.”

His voice shook,

Threatened to break.

“She was standing

In the kitchen, we

Had a whole conversation.

I swear I’m telling the truth.”

 

“Kid, hey.” Mister Stark

Put a hand on 

Peter’s shoulder. “I 

Believe you, alright?”

 

“Okay,” Peter

Whispered. 

 

It was not

Okay. 

 

He was seeing ghosts.

And the look on

Mister Stark’s face

(worried, Anxious, 

Like he was looking

At a test subject in a 

glass tank in a lab)

Meant that something

Was horribly wrong. 

 

* * *

 

The third ghost

Hurt the most. 

 

Peter went back to school

On an empty stomach.

But what else was new?

He didn’t eat anymore,

Not at all. He was seeing

Ghosts. Food was trivial. 

 

He was in biology.

Something warm, something

alive, sat beside him.

Peter looked over

And screamed.

 

Every head in the class turned

His way, but he didn’t care. 

 

Uncle Ben sat beside Peter.

Peter didn’t care if

It was all a dream, or

A hallucination, he had

Been begging every god

He knew and didn’t believe in

To bring Ben back, if just

For a second. 

 

Now that they answered

Him, Peter thought

He might faint. 

 

Ned lurched towards

His friend, panicked.

“Peter? Peter,

What’s wrong?”

 

“Ben,” Peter

Breathed, 

“Ben is here.”

 

“What? No, he’s-

Peter, Ben is dead.”

 

“No, he’s right here, 

I can’t-I can’t-he’s

Right here, look, he’s-”

 

“Peter, let’s go outside

For a minute,” Mister Smith

Suggested. When had he

Come up behind Peter,

Rested a hand 

On his back?

 

“No!” 

Peter stood up. 

Uncle Ben just

Stared at him

With wide, 

Unseeing eyes.

“He’s right there!

He’s sitting right there!”

 

“Calm down, Peter.

Take a deep breath.”

 

“ _ Don’t fucking tell me _

_ To calm down, my dead _

_ Uncle is sitting right _

_ Fucking there and you guys _

_ Are acting like you can’t fucking _

_ See him! Don’t fucking lie to me!” _

Peter’s throat burned. 

He was screaming.

 

His face felt cold with tears,

His hands felt colder.

 

“Mr. Parker!

That is enough.

Come with me,”

Mister Smith commanded

In a voice Peter did not

Like one bit. 

 

“No, please

Don’t,” Peter sobbed.

“Don’t take him away

From me…”

 

Peter allowed himself

To be dragged to the office. 

Allowed them to call

Aunt May and Mister Stark.

 

Peter sat curled

Against Ned, crying. 

Ned didn’t know what to do. 

 

Peter felt lightheaded,

And his hands were tingling

As if they weren’t his hands 

At all. 

 

He was going crazy.

 

He was seeing ghosts, 

And it wasn’t normal. 

 

Tony got there first.

Silently, Ned relinquished

Peter, who Mister Stark  

Gathered up in his arms. 

 

“Kid, talk to me.”

 

Peter sagged into his

Mentor’s arms.

“Ben was here, Mister Stark.”

 

“Like Natasha?”

 

Peter nodded.

 

“They aren’t real,

Underoos. They’re just

In your head.”

 

Peter shook his

Head. his chin 

Quivered with 

Threatened sobs. 

 

“Peter, look at me.”

Mister Stark forced him to 

Meet his eyes. 

“They aren’t real.” 

 

“Yes, they are.

I know i saw them,

I saw Natasha and 

I saw Bruce and I

Saw Ben and-”

 

Mister Stark seemed to

Deflate. “It’s okay,

Kid. you’re safe,

Okay? You’re

Safe.”

 

Peter ignored the looks

Of the principal

And the secretaries. 

 

He didn’t need their judgment. 

 

May burst through

The door a few 

Minutes later. 

 

“Baby, what happened?”

 

She crushed Peter in a hug

As Mister Stark explained. 

 

“Peter, baby, we’re absolutely

Sure Ben wasn’t real?”

 

Peter hated the glimmer

Of hope in her voice.

He knew what he saw.

It was easy to disregard

The other ghosts.

But if there was even

The slightest chance that

Not Ben was really just

Ben, Peter and May

Couldn’t ignore it. 

 

“No, May.

He was there.

I know what

I saw,” Peter

Insisted. He would

Not give up so

Easily. 

 

May looked to Ned

Who shook his head

Slightly. 

 

She looked like

Someone had punched her.

Peter hated himself

Even more.

 

* * *

 

A nervous breakdown.

They had the fucking

Nerve to call this a

_ Nervous breakdown. _

 

Peter was seeing the dead,

Seeing people who weren’t

Even in the country

And they called that

A nervous breakdown?

 

“He’s stressed and

Sleep deprived. Beyond

That there’s nothing

Wrong. Give him

A few days to rest.

He’ll be okay, 

Miss Parker.”

 

May started crying. 

Mister Stark hugged her with

One arm while Ned held

Tightly to her hand. 

 

Later, much later,

Ned sat beside Peter

In another hospital bed. 

 

“I’m really worried

About you, you aren’t

Yourself.”

 

“I’m not tired

Or stressed,”

Peter burst out.

 

“Okay.”

 

“They were real,

Ned. I saw them. I

Touched them. I 

Talked to them.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“No, it’s not! You’ve

Gotta get me out of here!”

 

“Peter, you know

I can’t do that. 

I’m sorry.”

 

Ned really did look

Like he was sorry. 

 

“I know,” Peter

Said, “I’m sorry.

I shouldn’t have snapped.

No one believes me, and

It’s really hard.”

 

Ned rested his head 

Against Peter’s shoulder.

Peter closed his eyes 

And got as close

To Ned as he could. 

Maybe the next ghost he saw

Would be his own. 

 

* * *

 

Again, he was in Stark

Tower on medical leave. 

Peter found out

The hard way that

He was locked in. 

 

He was angry,

But could he really blame

May and Mister Stark? 

He saw people that 

Weren’t there.

 

The Winter Soldier

Followed Peter everywhere. 

He stood watching

Peter’s every move.

It was frightening

In a way Peter 

Couldn’t describe.

 

Natasha often joined

The Winter Soldier. 

They sat by Peter

And talked, sometimes

Played card games.

When they tried to talk

To Peter, he talked back.

They were his friends.

He did not mind them

So much anymore.

 

A new ghost

Had come to stay. 

He was a boy with

Silver hair and silver

Eyes who could run

Faster than the wind. 

 

Peter did not

Know his name,

And neither him

Nor the other ghosts

Would reveal it.

 

Bruce never came back.

Neither did Ben. 

 

One night, Peter

Asked Natasha,

“Are you real?”

 

“We’re real if 

You want us to be,

Little spider.”

 

He did not like

Her answer. 

She smiled, and

Peter felt like she

Was hiding something. 

 

_ We’re real if you _

_ Want us to be. _

What the fuck did

That mean? Were

They real or not?

 

Peter didn’t voice his

Concerns, and he never

Brought us that subject again.

 

Something told him

These ghosts were

Stronger than they seemed.

 

* * *

 

Peter fucked up.

He royally

Fucked up. 

 

He was in the lab

And Ghost Natasha was

Sitting next to him.

They were starting

To become friends. 

They talked,

And she helped him

With his homework.

She was even teaching him

How to play chess.

 

Peter needed a 

tool on the other

Side of Natasha. 

He didn’t even think

About it when he said,

“Tasha, can you

Pass me that drill?” 

 

Natasha did not move. 

 

“What?” 

That was Mister Stark.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

 

Peter did not

Know what to do. 

 

“Kid, no one

Is there.”

 

Peter looked over

And ghost Natasha

Was gone. 

 

“Oh,” he said. 

“Sorry. I’m

Just a little

Tired.”

 

“You’re still seeing

People that aren’t

Really there,

Aren’t you?” 

 

Peter shook his head.

Mister Stark did not need

To know that despite

Everything they had tried,

The ghosts remained. 

 

* * *

 

Tony was sorting

Through Friday’s video

Footage of Peter.

The kid in question

Was asleep in the other room.

 

Mostly, it was normal. 

 

A few clips showed Peter

Talking to no one, 

But that wasn’t so abnormal.

 

The thing that really

Concerned Tony was

A video of Peter

Cooking pancakes and

Serving them to three 

People who weren’t there.

 

Tony watched, fascinated. 

Peter continued cooking

Before sitting down and

Talking to who was, or

Who wasn’t, sitting at the table.

 

The other strange thing

Was a video of Peter

Playing chess against himself.

He didn’t seem to know

There was no one else there.

He chatted animatedly

Across the open space,

And Tony felt his 

Blood run cold. 

 

After he had sorted through

All the footage, he took

A box of small voice recorders

And planted them all over the tower. 

 

What was his kid saying

To the people who weren't there?

 

Would they say anything back?

 

* * *

 

 

_ “Tasha, can you _

_ Translate this thing _

_ For Spanish?” _

 

A few beats

Of silence. Then, 

 

_ “Really? Damn, _

_ I was way off. _

_ If it weren’t for you, _

_ I would have flunked _

_ Out of this class _

_ Weeks ago.” _

 

More silence. 

 

_ “Give yourself some credit! _ _  
_ _ I’m really awful at Spanish.” _

 

Peter did not speak

For three minutes

And twenty-two seconds. 

 

_ “Mister Winter Soldier, sir-” _

 

Quiet. 

 

_ “Sorry Mister W- _

_ I mean Bucky. Sorry, Bucky. _

_ Can you ask the silver boy _

_ To sit still? He won’t _

_ Listen to me, and I really _

_ Need to focus.”  _

 

The silver boy?

 

Who was the silver boy?

 

And now Peter was seeing

The Winter Soldier, too?

 

What the hell

Was Tony supposed to do?

 

* * *

 

The ghosts told Peter

That the Avengers could

Not be trusted.

Peter didn’t want to believe it.

They were his family now,

But the ghosts were 

His family, too. 

 

Maybe Peter needed to

Try harder to hide them.

 

* * *

 

Tony took Peter in

For an MRI and a CT scan. 

 

Tony could tell by

The looks on the doctor’s faces

That the news was not good. 

 

He drifted in and out of reality

When the doctors told him 

There was a tumor 

In his kid’s head.

 

“It’s pressing into the

Occipital lobe. That is

What’s most likely causing

The hallucinations.

We’ll do a biopsy to see

If it’s cancer. I’m very 

Sorry, Mr. Stark.

Is there anyone we

Can call?”

 

Tony shook his head. 

He would call May.

She shouldn’t hear

This from a stranger.  
  


* * *

 

_ It wasn’t cancer. _

 

God, Tony had never

Been more relieved in his life. 

 

They could take the tumor out

And this would all be over. 

 

“Mister Stark?” 

 

Tony squeezed Peter’s hand. 

“Yeah, kid?”

 

“Will this make

The ghosts leave?”

 

“That’s the plan.”

 

Peter looked like

He was fighting with himself.

He chewed on his lip

And looked at the doorway.

Tony did not need to follow

His gaze to know there

Was no one there.

“What if i don’t 

Want them to go?”

 

“Pete...this is only

Going to get worse.

If the tumor gets bigger,

It’s going to start affecting

Other parts of your brain.

You could go blind.

Go deaf. You might 

Lose the ability to talk.

There’s no other choice.”

 

Peter looked like he

Was about to cry.

“I don’t want them to go,   
They’re my friends.”

 

For once in his life,

Tony didn't know

What to say.

 

* * *

 

May sat in the waiting

Room with Tony.

She had never been

More scared in her life.

 

Her baby boy was

Getting brain surgery,

And it did not feel real.

 

Stark had assured her 

That Doctor Cho, a 

Superhero doctor, would

Be in the OR the whole time.

Everything would be okay.

 

Everything would be okay.

 

Everything would be okay.

 

* * *

 

Peter woke up two days later.

His head hurt like a bitch,

And the ghosts were not there.

 

Mister Stark slept

In a chair by the window.

May was curled next

To Peter, hand still

threaded in his hair.

 

Peter shut his eyes.

When he opened them,

The ghosts were still gone. 

His head did not hurt.

 

He was normal.

 

He was okay. 

 

After two ghostless,

Painless months, 

He stopped coming in

For brain scans. 

The doctors were sure

The tumor was not growing back.

 

Of course, not having

The ghosts with his wherever 

He went was painful,

Like a shock to the chest,

He was getting used to it. 

 

The real Natasha Romanoff

Was teaching him how to box,

And sometimes she picked

Him up from school. 

Peter never saw the Winter Soldier

Or Bruce Banner 

Or Ben again, but 

Maybe that was okay. 

 

Peter Parker  no longer

Had a tumor in his head.

He no longer had ghosts

Following him around.

Peter Parker was officially

A normal kid, or as

Normal as an enhanced kid could be. 

 

Peter Parker was healthy

And safe and one hundred percent

Tumor-free. 

 

He was kind of glad this was all over.

 

**Author's Note:**

> this went in a weird direction. it took me a very long time to finish and it was a lot of hard work, so i hope yall liked it lol


End file.
